The invention relates to a labeling method and machine for bottles comprising conveying means, and in particular an annular bottle carrier, which transports the bottles past a plurality of labeling stations and by means of rotational controls places them into different positions appropriate to the affixing and pressing on of the labels.
Bottles in deluxe makeup are wrapped with foil around their neck. However, this foil wrap is truly attractive only when the lower edges are aligned with each other where they overlap. Now this is a requirement which in practice is virtually impossible to satisfy for a variety of reasons, such as the conicity of the bottle neck, imprecise transfer of the foil to the bottle, and diameter variations from one bottle to the next. To conceal these unattractive poorly overlapping edges, the practice of applying a ring label which covers the lower edge of the foil has been resorted to.
Another way to conceal misalignment of the lower edges where they overlap is to use special precut foils with angled edges. However, such foils are more expensive to produce than simple cut-to-size foils.
In a prior-art labeling machine of the type outlined above, the various labels are affixed by means of three labeling stations, the first of these serving to transfer the foil, the second to transfer the back label, and the third to transfer the belly label and the neck label or neck ring label. With this labeling machine, the foil is affixed in such a way that the vertical lap seam is located in the back of the bottle.